Some advice and a lot of first-hand anecdotes and observations from someone who accidentally had a career in the bike business.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Christmas was spoiled

The Traveler's Check showed up a day early today. This might have given me time to slap together a kit to bring it along on the plane this weekend. But somewhere along its long journey from the factory to Minneapolis and on to New England, the right rear dropout got crushed.

The box didn't look bad from the outside. The opposite end had been dented, where the fork would be if it was in the frame, but the fork was in a separate box. But when I pulled the main frame up I saw right away that there was no bracing block in the rear dropouts. It was loose in the plastic bag that covered the frame.

On the plus side, after a quick exchange of phone calls, a call tag for the old frame and a replacement frame had both been dispatched from Surly. Thanks, Aaron! Too bad the new frame won't get here before I leave.

The new frame has some great improvements over the one I got in 2000. The long dropouts are even longer and have double eyelets. The seat stays have rack bosses on them. And the frame comes with the awesome new Surly stainless steel rear brake cable hanger. The hanger is extra long for smoother cable routing, and has a threaded adjuster so it's easier to substitute wheels with different-width rims.

3 comments:

anonymously obvious
said...

This is unfortunate indeed. Is there a reason those slackers could not have sent a replacement next Day Air in order to compensate you for the harm they inflicted. Afterall, you are an innoncent victim in this transaction and the damage done to your trip is irreparable. From what I understand your destination weather will be between 65 and 83 degrees, the roads are debris free and the drivers are all polite.

Now now. You know it wasn't the Surly dudes' fault that the frame got munched somewhere along its extremely long journey from factory to shop. Having it for this trip would have been an unexpected bonus. I still haven't brought myself to order the FSA Orbit UF headset or select a substitute. And I have to get the parts for its fixed-gear wheel, as well as other odds and ends, when I have expended all my accumulated shop credit (and then some) on the frame and travel case.